Protecting data by backing up the data is an important aspect of many computing systems. Backup operations are typically run so that they do not interfere or so that they minimally interfere with the production operations of the computing system. This is not always easy to accomplish in part because of the ever increasing amount of data that needs to be backed up. Clients are continually seeking to have their data backed up in shorter time periods or shorter backup windows.
Some of these challenges can be addressed by upgrading the backup system to include the latest hardware. In addition, the bandwidth allocated to the backup operation can be increased. Some systems have considered the possibility of splitting the data being backed up into multiple streams. Surprisingly, splitting the backup data into multiple streams may adversely impact the performance of the backup system. This is due in part to the fact that simply establishing multiple data streams for the data may not be a best fit for the data and/or the underlying hardware. As a result, some clients are confused when multiple backup streams results in reduced backup performance. Systems and methods for backing up data using multiple streams in an intelligent and dynamic manner are needed.